Battery Power - September/October 2011 - (Page 20)

Feature Nickel Zinc’s Powerful Future in Stationary Storage Richard Brody, Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Marketing PowerGenix When Thomas Edison patented the first Nickel-Zinc (NiZn) battery in 1901, the electrical grid was still in its infancy. Now, 110 years and 32 patents later, NiZn is a mature technology ready to serve critical functions within a rapidly developing smart grid. This diversity of applications can be divided roughly according to the side of the meter on which they fall: the utility side or power consumer side. as well as permitting challenges inherent in building transmission, distribution and generation assets. For these applications, lightweight NiZn batteries could be mounted on movable trailers so their services could be located as needed within a power grid. The high-energy nature of this duty matches NiZn capabilities closely, and utility planners find the chemistry appealing for its low-maintenance, non-toxic characteristics. In this case, NiZn batteries would be expected to discharge for three to six hours within the 460 to 800 V DC range. Finally, NiZn finds applications in grid ancillary services, particularly frequency and voltage regulation, where the chemistry’s high power capabilities are particularly well suited. Since ancillary services installations are deployed in a highly distributed manner, NiZn’s lack of maintenance requirements and size and weight advantages can deliver significant cost savings for utilities. For these applications, capacity and voltage ratings would vary widely. Modern utilities are broadening their understanding of energy storage at a rapid pace. Utilities have an impressive 100year record of reliable service, but the demands placed on them are changing quickly. With growing demand, stronger emissions standards, higher penetration of renewable generation and electric vehicles, as well as the development of a more intelligent grid, utilities increasingly require energy storage at the points of generation, transmission and last mile facilities such as substations. NiZn works well in all three areas, excelling at providing backup power to substations, offering area regulation services and enabling utilities to defer transmission and distribution (T&D) upgrades. To maintain high system reliability, utilities must ensure that their equipment, especially substations, continues to function during a blackout or brownout. To this end, most utilities use a DC-based backup power source, traditionally lead-acid batteries operating at 125 V, 60 A peak and 50 Ah. But lead-acid, the traditional chemistry for substation backup, requires extensive maintenance, effectively doubling the cost of battery ownership over its expected life. NiZn batteries meet the performance needs of substation backup with no maintenance needs, offering clear lifetime cost advantages over lead-acid. NiZn’s small size (half the size and weight of lead-acid) is a further advantage. Area regulation, in which energy storage is used to reconcile momentary differences between power supply and demand, is another exciting arena for NiZn, especially as regulatory barriers have become more flexible in recent years. Theoretically, area regulation batteries can be located anywhere within a power system. The most likely physical configuration would be megawattscale batteries at sub-transmission or higher voltage distribution facilities. Area regulation would typically call for about 15 minutes of discharge at 480 V. Other energy storage technologies used for this purpose are significantly more expensive and potentially dangerous, so NiZn’s cost and safety record make it appealing for area regulation. NiZn is also a boon to utilities in that it allows them to defer installation of power line, substation or generation upgrades. Such upgrades are especially challenging given the uncertainties faced by grid planners bringing on renewable generation, The Utility Side of the Meter On the other side of the meter, at stationary points of electricity consumption, NiZn also finds exciting applications. Its power density allows for small form factors in applications, such as uninterruptible power supply (UPS) for telecom, traffic control, and other functions, in which space is precious. For example, PSI Acquisition, a traffic control equipment provider, recently incorporated PowerGenix NiZn batteries into its UPS for traffic light control systems, in which uninterrupted power can literally be a matter of life or death. Because of their high power density, NiZn batteries enabled design of a new UPS that could PSI’s flexible battery pack allows for installafit within previously wasted space tion in hard-to-reach spaces.” in traffic lighting control cabinets. This eliminates the need for an extra “piggyback” battery cabinet to accompany traffic light controls. NiZn’s maintenance-free nature and longer calendar life is also appealing for this application. Since traffic light backups are often situated in neighborhoods, removing potentially dangerous lead-acid batteries brings important public safety benefits. In addition, the inherent safety of a water-based electrolyte such as that found in NiZn batteries, in contrast to the flammable, organic electrolytes in other advanced chemistries, is another major advantage. PSI Acquisition’s NiZn-powered product, UP-Stealth, allows traffic agencies to reduce maintenance and installation costs www.BatteryPowerOnline.com Power Consumer Side of the Meter 20 Battery Power • September/October http://www.BatteryPowerOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Battery Power - September/October 2011

Battery Power - September/October 2011
Contents
Portable Battery Market to Reach $30.5 Billion Worldwide by 2015, Forecasts Pike Research
Panasonic Introduces High Rate Li-Ion Cell
A Comprehensive Management Approach to Maximizing UPS Availability
The Evolution of Battery Monitoring: Impedance, Resistance, Conductance or Ohmic Value
The World of Alkaline Batteries
Nickel Zinc’s Powerful Future in Stationary Storage
Batteries
Components
ICs and Semiconductors
Charging & Testing
Power Supplies
Industry News
Marketplace
Calendar of Events
Research & Development

Battery Power - September/October 2011